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Our Irish Theatre: A chapter of autobiography

Chapter 11: APPENDIX I PLAYS PRODUCED BY THE ABBEY THEATRE CO.
By Lady Gregory
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About This Book

The author recounts her involvement in founding a national theatre, describing collaborations with contemporary writers and actors and the collective effort to stage plays drawn from folk history and modern drama. She outlines the practical work of selecting, adapting, and producing plays, and the financial, managerial, and critical difficulties encountered. Personal anecdotes about rehearsals, productions, and the personalities involved are interwoven with reflections on folklore, national identity, and dramatic form. The narrative also surveys the company’s repertoire and offers concise critical observations that illuminate the author’s evolving theatrical principles.


APPENDIX I
PLAYS PRODUCED BY THE ABBEY THEATRE CO.

AND ITS PREDECESSORS, WITH DATES
OF FIRST PERFORMANCES

IRISH LITERARY THEATRE AT ANTIENT CONCERT ROOMS

May 8th, 1899. “The Countess Cathleen.” W. B. Yeats
  “    9th,    “ “The Heather Field.” Edward Martyn

IRISH LITERARY THEATRE AT THE GAIETY THEATRE

Feb. 19th, 1900. “The Bending of the Bough.” George Moore
  “    19th,    “ “The Last Feast of the Fianna.” Alice Milligan
  “    20th,    “ “Maeve.” Edward Martyn
Oct. 21st, 1901. “Diarmuid and Grania.” W. B. Yeats and
George Moore
  “    21st,    “ “The Twisting of the Rope.” Douglas Hyde
(The first Gaelic Play produced in any Theatre.)

MR. W. G. FAY’S IRISH NATIONAL DRAMATIC COMPANY AT ST. TERESA’S HALL, CLARENDON STREET.

Apr. 2nd, 1902. “Deirdre.” “A.E.”
  “    2nd,    “ “Kathleen Ni Houlihan.” W. B. Yeats.    

IRISH NATIONAL DRAMATIC COMPANY AT ANTIENT CONCERT ROOMS

Oct. 29th, 1902. “The Sleep of the King.” Seumas O’Cuisin
Oct. 29th, 1902. “The Laying of the Foundations.” Fred Ryan
  “    30th,    “ “A Pot of Broth.” W. B. Yeats
  “    31st,    “ “The Racing Lug.” Seumas O’Cuisin

IRISH NATIONAL THEATRE SOCIETY, MOLESWORTH HALL

(The first prospectus of this Society, dated March, 1903, and signed by Mr. Fred Ryan began as follows: “The Irish National Theatre Society was formed to continue on a more permanent basis the work of the Irish Literary Theatre.”)

Mar. 14th, 1903. “The Hour Glass.” W. B. Yeats
  “    14th,    “ “Twenty-Five.” Lady Gregory
Oct.   8th,    “ “The King’s Threshold.” W. B. Yeats
  “     8th,     “ “In the Shadow of the Glen.” J. M. Synge
Dec.  3rd,    “ “Broken Soil.” Padraic Colum
Jan. 14th, 1904. “The Shadowy Waters.” W. B. Yeats
  “    14th,    “ “The Townland of Tamney.” Seumas McManus
Feb. 25th,   “ “Riders to the Sea.” J. M. Synge

IRISH NATIONAL THEATRE SOCIETY AT THE ABBEY THEATRE.

Dec. 27th, 1904. “On Baile’s Strand.” W. B. Yeats
  “    27th,    “ “Spreading the News.” Lady Gregory
Feb.   4th, 1905. “The Well of the Saints.” J. M. Synge
Mar. 25th,   “ “Kincora.” Lady Gregory
Apr. 25th,   “ “The Building Fund.” William Boyle
June   9th,   “ “The Land.” Padraic Colum

NATIONAL THEATRE SOCIETY, LTD. (ABBEY COMPANY)

Dec.  9th, 1905. “The White Cockade.” Lady Gregory
Jan. 20th, 1906.  “The Eloquent Dempsy.” William Boyle
Feb. 19th,   “ “Hyacinth Halvey.” Lady Gregory
Oct. 20th,   “ “The Gaol Gate.” Lady Gregory
  “    20th,    “ “The Mineral Workers.” William Boyle
Nov. 24th,   “ “Deirdre.” W. B. Yeats
Dec.   8th,   “ “The Canavans.” Lady Gregory
Dec.  8th, 1906. New Version of “The Shadowy Waters.” W. B. Yeats
Jan. 26th, 1907. “The Playboy of the Western World.” J. M. Synge
Feb. 23rd,   “ “The Jackdaw.” Lady Gregory
Mar.   9th,   “ “The Rising of the Moon.” Lady Gregory
Apr.   1st,   “ “The Eyes of the Blind.” Miss W. M. Letts
Apr.   3rd, 1907. “The Poorhouse.” Douglas Hyde and Lady Gregory
  “    27th,    “ “Fand.” Wilfrid Scawen Blunt
Oct.   3rd,   “ “The Country Dressmaker.” George Fitzmaurice
  “    31st,    “ “Dervorgilla.” Lady Gregory
Nov. 21st,   “ “The Unicorn from the Stars.” W. B. Yeats and Lady Gregory
Feb. 13th, 1908. “The Man who missed the Tide.” W. F. Casey
  “    13th,    “ “The Piper.” Norreys Connell
Mar. 10th,   “ “The Piedish.” George Fitzmaurice
Mar. 19th,   “ “The Golden Helmet.” W. B. Yeats
Apr. 20th,   “ “The Workhouse Ward.” Lady Gregory
Oct.   1st,   “ “The Suburban Groove.” W. F. Casey
  “     8th,    “ “The Clancy Name.” Lennox Robinson
  “    15th,    “ “When the Dawn is come.” Thomas MacDonogh
  “    21st,    “ New Version, “The Man who missed the Tide.” W. F. Casey
Feb. 11th, 1909. Revised Version of “Kincora.” Lady Gregory
Mar. 11th,   “ “Stephen Grey.” D. L. Kelleher
Apr.   1st,   “ “The Cross Roads.” Lennox Robinson
  “     1st,    “ “Time.” Norreys Connell
  “    29th,   “ “The Glittering Gate.” Lord Dunsany
May  27th,  “ “An Imaginary Conversation.” Norreys Connell
Aug. 25th,   “ “The Shewing-up of Blanco Posnet.” Bernard Shaw
Sept. 16th,   “ “The White Feather.” R. J. Ray
Oct. 14th,   “ “The Challenge.” Miss W. M. Letts
Nov. 11th,   “ “The Image.” Lady Gregory
Jan. 13th, 1910. “Deirdre of the Sorrows.” J. M. Synge
Feb. 10th,   “ “The Green Helmet.” W. B. Yeats
Mar.   2nd,   “ “The Travelling Man.” Lady Gregory
May  12th,   “ “Thomas Muskerry.” Padraic Colum
  “    26th,   “ “Harvest.“ Lennox Robinson
Sept. 28th, 1910 “The Casting-out of Martin Whelan.” R. J. Ray
Oct. 27th,   “ “Birthright.” T. C. Murray
Nov. 10th,   “ “The Full Moon.” Lady Gregory
  “    24th,   “ “The Shuiler’s Child.”[2] Seumas O’Kelly
Dec.  1st,   “ “Coats.” Lady Gregory
Jan. 12th, 1911. “The Deliverer.” Lady Gregory
  “    26th,    “ “King Argimenes and the Unknown Warrior.” Lord Dunsany
Feb. 16th,   “ “The Land of Heart’s Desire.”[3] W. B. Yeats
Mar. 30th,   “ “Mixed Marriage.” St. John G. Ervine
Nov. 23rd,   “ “The Interlude of Youth.” Anon., first printed 1554
  “    23rd,    “ “The Second Shepherds’ Play.” Anon., circa 1400
  “    30th,   “ “The Marriage.” Douglas Hyde
Dec.  7th,   “ “Red Turf.” Rutherford Mayne
  “    14th,    “ Revival of “The Countess Cathleen.” W. B. Yeats
Jan.  4th, 1912. “The Annunciation.” circa 1400
  “     4th,    “ “The Flight into Egypt.” circa 1400
  “    11th,   “ “MacDarragh’s Wife.” Lady Gregory
Feb.   1st,   “ Revival of “The Country Dressmaker.” George Fitzmaurice
  “    15th,    “ “The Tinker and the Fairy.” Douglas Hyde
(Played in Gaelic)
  “    29th,    “ “The Worlde and the Chylde.” 15th century
Mar. 28th,   “ “Family Failing.” William Boyle
Apr. 11th,   “ “Patriots.” Lennox Robinson
  “    15th,    “ “Judgment.” Joseph Campbell
June 20th,   “ “Maurice Harte.” T. C. Murray
July   4th,   “ “The Bogie Men.” Lady Gregory
Oct. 17th,   “ “The Magnanimous Lover.” St. John G. Ervine
Nov. 21st,   “ “Damer’s Gold.” Lady Gregory

[2] First produced by an amateur company at the Molesworth Hall in 1909.

[3] First produced at the Avenue Theatre, London, in 1894.

TRANSLATIONS OF THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN PRODUCED

Apr. 16th, 1906. “The Doctor in spite of Himself.” (Molière.)
Translated by Lady Gregory
Mar. 16th, 1907. “Interior.” (Maeterlinck.)
    “   19th, 1908. “Teja.” (Sudermann.)
Translated by Lady Gregory
Apr.   4th,   “ “The Rogueries of Scapin.” (Molière.)
Translated by Lady Gregory
Jan. 21st, 1909. “The Miser.” (Molière.)
Translated by Lady Gregory
Feb. 24th, 1910. “Mirandolina.” (Goldoni.)
Translated by Lady Gregory
Jan.  5th, 1911. “Nativity Play.” (Douglas Hyde.)
Translated by Lady Gregory

NEW PRODUCTIONS

Nov. 21st, 1912. “The Hour Glass” Revised.
  “       “       “ “Damer’s Gold.”
Jan. 23rd, 1913. “The Dean of St. Patrick’s.” G. Sidney Paternoster
Feb.   6th,   “ Revival, “Casting-out of Martin Whelan.” R. J. Ray
  “    20th,    “ “Hannele.” Gerhardt Hauptmann
Mar.   6th,   “ “There are Crimes and Crimes.” August Strindberg
  “    13th,    “ “The Cuckoo’s Nest.” John Guinan
Apr. 10th,   “ “The Homecoming.” Gertrude Robins
  “    17th,    “ “The Stronger.” August Strindberg
  “    24th,    “ “The Magic Glasses.” George Fitzmaurice
  “    24th,    “ “Broken Faith.” S. R. Day and G. D. Cummins
May 17th,   “ “The Post Office.” Rabindranath Tagore